Method of preparing low resistance metal line, patterned metal line structure, and display device using the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of preparing a low resistance metal line, in which a wet plating technique is used instead of a vacuum film forming process in order to simplify the process and decrease the manufacturing cost. In addition, a self-assembled monolayer is formed that facilitates the increased adsorption density and strength of the metal catalyst resulting in the formation of a high-density metal catalyst layer, thereby obtaining a high-quality metal line. Also disclosed herein, are a patterned metal line structure, and a display device using the same.

1. A method of preparing a low resistance metal line comprising:
 forming a mask pattern for a metal line on a substrate; 
 applying a self-assembled monolayer on the substrate; 
 forming a seed layer on the substrate comprising the self-assembled monolayer; 
 plating an assistant metal film on the seed layer; 
 removing the mask pattern and layers thereon by means of lift-off; and 
 plating a metal layer on the patterned assistant metal film. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled monolayer comprises an organosilane compound. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the self-assembled monolayer comprises a material represented by Formula 1 below:
   Si(OR) 3-n (R) n X  [Formula 1]
 
 wherein R is a C 1-12  alkyl group, an alkylene group, or a phenyl group; 
 X is AB, in which A is a C 1-12  alkyl group, an alkylene group, or a phenyl group, and B is an amino group, a cyano group, a mercapto group, a pyridine group, or a diphenylphosphine group; and 
 n is an integer from 0 to 3. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the self-assembled monolayer comprises a material selected from a material group represented by Formula 2 below: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the seed layer is conducted using immersing method, spin coating, vapor deposition, Langmuir Blodgett method, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming the seed layer is conducted through activation using a metal selected from gold, silver, copper, nickel, tin, iron, platinum, palladium, palladium alloy, palladium chloride, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing metals for activation. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein plating the assistant metal film is conducted using a metal selected from nickel, tin, cobalt, or zinc, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing metals. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein plating the metal layer is conducted using electroless plating or electroplating. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein plating the metal layer is conducted using a metal selected from Ni, Cu, Ag, Au, or alloys thereof, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing metals. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein plating the metal layer is conducted by immersing the substrate in an electroless copper plating solution comprising a copper salt, a complexing agent, a reducing agent, and a pH control agent. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  further comprising: forming a passivation layer on the metal layer. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the passivation layer is conducted using a material selected from nickel, molybdenum, a nickel alloy, and a molybdenum alloy. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  further comprising: annealing the low resistance metal line obtained after forming the metal layer. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the annealing is conducted at about 40 to about 400° C. for about 15 to about 120 minutes in a nitrogen or argon gas atmosphere, or in a vacuum.